Sky-cracking Rider-Chapter 1300 - 1266: Jiu Defense Headquarters

"We've got a solution now, let's try it first!"

Chen Fei pointed to Kraken, who had volunteered.

To preserve the contract—more accurately, to retain the rare protective force—Kraken must demonstrate his value. He dared not imagine being blasted into pulp by armed drones after Chen Fei and others left.

"Want to come over and sit for a while?"

Hanna Gagel invited proactively, as this wasn't her turf and there were others around, making certain topics hard to discuss.

"Alright! Let's go!"

Chen Fei got up immediately. As a shareholder of Jiu Defense Company, the place Boss Hanna invited him to was, in some sense, his turf too.

Since he'd come all this way, it made sense to have a look.

Miyoshi Xuesen promptly tidied up his "tea stall" and followed closely behind Heseman Brown and others.

"Hey? Me, me! Hey???" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Just as they were about to leave, Kraken wanted to say something, only to see ten Combat Mechs that had started doing housework upon entering the room not following but staying behind to shut the door actively.

Watching the ten Combat Mechs with Railgun Combat Rifles on their backs turn together, he shivered, seemingly finally realizing the situation.

Chen Fei hadn't left him behind simply; these Mechanical Beings served both as protection and surveillance, also helping with housework to prevent the large house from becoming a garbage heap due to poor living habits.

Boss Hanna followed behind the massive Mobile Base Vehicle in an empty car, maintaining a distance of over ten meters. No other car dared to cut in behind the Mobile Base Vehicle, as any accident could easily turn into an iron-clad meat sandwich.

Bringing Chen Fei and the others to Jiu Defense Company's headquarters in Chapala City, Hanna Gagel greeted them as insiders.

"Sit anywhere you like, grab a drink if you want, there's also snacks."

Chen Fei, a shareholder of Jiu Defense Company, had subordinates that were practically akin to Boss Hanna's own people.

Seeing Chen Fei watching the courtyard outside the window, Hanna Gagel sat in her chairman's executive chair and said, "Nothing special to see, just the same old, most people are executing field operations, including myself; those staying at headquarters don't exceed ten."

Jiu Defense Company's headquarters in Chapala City wasn't large, being a small military contractor, reluctant to spend unnecessarily. They rented a three-to-five-thousand square meter courtyard in the suburbs, with a uniform standardized design typical of the industry.

Newcomers relied on house numbers and distinctive signs to accurately find the place; otherwise, they could easily get lost in the grid-like "maze."

This standardized courtyard can accommodate five hundred people's work and living, and provide basic storage and training space.

Equipment maintenance by small military contractors is often done by Combat Personnel themselves, both saving labor costs and allowing them to monitor equipment status at all times. Multiskilling is normal practice; the saved labor costs are profit for capitalist bosses. Everyone sees through it but doesn't talk about it; saying it out loud would be self-defeating and benefit no one.

"Are those people obedient?"

Chen Fei withdrew his gaze from the empty courtyard.

Outside, not a person was seen, revealing nothing of the bustling scene expected from the famed Jiu Defense Company.

He didn't ask randomly; if disobedient, they'd be dismissed, made to fend for themselves. If short-handed, AI-controlled Mechanical Beings by "Adam" would be used. The main business of a military contractor is more or less about warfare; the biggest hindrance to mechanical beings entering the military contractor domain isn't the sovereignty or Global United Defense Committee's license but cost.

But for Chen Fei, the cost of Mechanical Beings was dirt cheap; in military contracting, no one could challenge him on costs.

"Trial period's half a year, those unfit will be naturally eliminated; give your peers a chance for survival!" Boss Hanna wisely guessed Chen Fei's unsaid implications.

The military contractor industry is indeed incredibly competitive, but with Chen Fei entering, it's not just competition, but cost slaughter.

However, at least in the next three to five years, Boss Hanna wouldn't consider expanding Jiu Defense Company into a medium or even large military contractor, lacking reliable middle management, needing long-term internal cohesion. There's no need to devour the whole industry's big cake.

If others lose livelihood, they may breach industry rules, and even Jiu Defense Company wouldn't escape the same fate.

"Alright! I'm just trying to help."

With combat mechanical beings numbering in "tens of thousands," if Chen Fei casually allocated some to Jiu Defense Company, it would indeed exert enormous pressure on their peers.

"No need!"

Hanna Gagel decisively shook her hand in refusal.

If the entire military contracting industry were to be upset to a point of universal wrath, Jiu Defense Company would also lose its space to survive, leading to no gain.

"If needed, just contact me; many things are a breeze."

Chen Fei made a gesture of dialing a phone.

Just like before, when several peers ganged up against Jiu Defense Company, using somewhat shady methods, resulting in combat spaceships showing up at their doors. Without any fuss, they were either shut down or transferred, and all were gone.

Chen Fei provided significant assistance, but Hanna Gagel felt the deep malice of fear and dread from peers. While no one dared target Jiu Defense Company again, such infamy inevitably affected business; high-risk tasks actively sought them out, but stable, albeit low-profit tasks refused them, which hadn't happened before.

Everything has two sides; no matter what is done, being domineering achieves temporary success, relying on royals ensures longevity.

"Absolutely!"

To Boss Hanna, Chen Fei was a strategic-level nuclear weapon, his greatest value being deterrence, not direct action.

"How's the Flesh Mushroom industry going?"

Besides Jiu Defense Company, Chen Fei was also Boss Hanna's partner in the Flesh Mushroom industry.

"I have to tell you something: we've gained a few more shareholders. But don't worry, they're minor shareholders, requiring proportional dilution of your and my equity."

In business talk, Hanna Gagel spoke solemnly; the cash flow from the Flesh Mushroom industry outperformed Jiu Defense Company, without any risk.